Tea tycoon's birth place to become Balkan restaurant

The site where a famed Victorian entrepreneur was born will become a Balkan restaurant after planners approved a change of use application.

Born in 1845 at 6 George Street, Ashton, Arthur Brooke founded Brooke Bond Tea in 1869, which would go on to become the world’s largest tea company and produce PG Tips. 

The current building dates from the 1920s and has a blue plaque commemorating the site’s significance on the front, unveiled in 2016 by Brooke’s great grandson, Nigel Brooke. 

However, it has been empty since Molly’s Bar – formerly Molly Malone’s - closed in April 2022 following a licensing dispute. 

The latest plans will see it become a Balkan restaurant and cafe, with opening hours of 8am-10pm Sunday to Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday. 

A report from Tameside Council’s planning department said: “The proposals would represent a highly sustainable and efficient use of the site that would complement the current food establishment offers in the town centre. 

“The use is seen as a positive to revitalising the daytime economy along with nighttime/evening economy in the town.  

“As a result, it is not considered that the proposed use would be unduly dominant so as to lead to an unacceptable change in the character of the town centre locality.  

“The proposed café/restaurant use will provide activity within the building and contribute to footfall on surroundings streets.  

“This may indirectly benefit existing shops and other businesses in the Town Centre.  

“In terms of the cumulative impact it is not considered that there would be an unacceptable change in the character of the area.” 

A further stipulation is that developers must install at least one bird box and one bat box ‘in the interests of biodiversity’. 

The application claims the new business will provide jobs for between 10-15 people. 

Although it doesn’t mention which part of Balkan cuisine the cafe will specialise in, the area in southeastern Europe includes Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, the coast of Romania, the European portion of Türkiye, and most of the countries that made up the former Yugoslavia.